MILWAUKEE — President Joe Biden’s administration has chosen the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee to serve as a federal pilot community vaccination clinic. 

The site will receive resources and staffing to be able to do 3,000 vaccinations per day, with all of the vaccine supply coming directly from the federal government instead of the state allocation. Gov. Tony Evers and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 made the announcement Wednesday. 

“I thank the Biden Administration for recognizing the need to maximize vaccine administration in this part of our state to reach an underserved and vulnerable population,” Evers said. “This additional federal support continues the great work our FEMA partners have already started here and will allow Wisconsin to free up state resources to focus on getting vaccine to other vulnerable populations in the state.”

Currently, the Wisconsin Center is federally supported by FEMA and will transition to a type 2 federal pilot community vaccination clinic that operates seven days a week for eight weeks starting on Tuesday. In addition to receiving more direct vaccines from the federal government, more federal staff will support the site.

“Transitioning the Wisconsin Center to a federal pilot site means increased access to the COVID-19 vaccine in the Milwaukee area,” acting regional administrator of FEMA Region 5 Kevin M. Sligh said. “We’re proud to work with our federal, state and local partners to further expand vaccination opportunities to individuals in Wisconsin who have been hardest hit in underserved and marginalized communities. This vaccine is our best defense against COVID-19, and an important step in putting this pandemic behind us.”

Vaccinations will be by appointment only and will use the same registration process that has been in place until it transitions over to the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine Registry. Individuals eligible for the vaccine can register for a vaccination appointment by visiting www.covidmke.com or calling (414) 286-6800.

“I am proud of the vaccine distribution plan Milwaukee Health Department has put together, particularly our mobile sites with our community partners and our enduring sites at North and South Division High School,” City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said. “This opportunity will afford us more capacity to meet people where they are in the community and provide more vaccine at our central site here in the Wisconsin Center.”

The Wisconsin Center will be managed by FEMA with support from the Department of Defense, State of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, and the City of Milwaukee.